Help Fund Lilou's Life-Changing Surgery

Hi everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read Lilou’s story ❤️

Lilou is my 5-year-old French Bulldog whom I’ve had as my fur baby since she was 8 weeks old. She’s always been a happy girl and relatively healthy, but everything changed on December 28th when I came home to find her in extreme pain with twitching muscle spasms I could visibly see running up and down her neck. Unsure of what had happened while I was away, I instantly rushed her to Access Emergency and stayed with her until she was discharged at midnight for experiencing clinical signs of IVDD (intervertebral disc disease).

IVDD is defined as being a spinal condition that affects the discs in between the vertebrae, which can cause severe pain and potentially lead to paralysis. Lilou is experiencing the beginning stages of this disease, so although she can still use the restroom and walk on her own, she continues to experience severe muscle spasms and pain on a daily basis.

She’s currently on several types of pain relief and a muscle relaxant to keep her spasms under control, but the reality is that she cannot find true comfort without the aid of surgery. Taking into account her young age and catching this disease so soon, her neurologist is hopeful that she can make a 100% complete recovery if we decide to move forward with surgery, which happens to be as expensive as you’d imagine.

After requesting an estimate during her latest neurology appointment, a bill ranging from $10,900 to $14,400 was presented to us, which included everything from Lilou’s MRI, surgery, and hospitalization needed during her recovery. The wide range between the two numbers is based on medication adjustments throughout her procedure and the chance she may not need to be hospitalized for as long as they’d think. It really just depends on recovery and how long the procedure will take on surgery day.

Lilou is currently on a strict order to be on 8 weeks of pure crate rest with her only steps throughout the day being to use the restroom. I’m hoping to try holistic approaches such as acupuncture or laser therapy to help aid her discomfort as well while I try to gather the financial help to have her surgery performed.

I’m not one to ask for financial help, but in this time-sensitive case for my fur baby, I can’t help but look at all of my options. I want to thank you for reading Lilou’s story this far and considering a donation towards her medical care. No donation is ever too small, and even sharing her story with others is greatly appreciated!